The Luckiest Man in America
| The Luckiest Man in America | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Samir Oliveros |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Amanda Freedman |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pablo Lozano |
| Edited by | Sebastián Hernández |
| Music by | John Carroll Kirby |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $433,617[3] |
The Luckiest Man in America is a 2024 American drama film directed and co-written by Samir Oliveros. It stars Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, Shamier Anderson, Brian Geraghty, Patti Harrison, Haley Bennett, Damian Young, Lilli Kay, James Wolk, Shaunette Renée Wilson, David Rysdahl, Ricky Russert, David Strathairn, Johnny Knoxville, and Maisie Williams.
The film's world premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2024. It was released in the United States on April 4, 2025.
Premise
[edit]The film depicts the 1984 scandal orchestrated by ice cream truck driver Michael Larson when he appeared on and won the game show Press Your Luck.
Cast
[edit]- Paul Walter Hauser as Michael Larson
- Walton Goggins as Peter Tomarken
- David Strathairn as Bill Carruthers
- Maisie Williams as Sylvia
- Shamier Anderson as Chuck
- Brian Geraghty as Ed
- Patti Harrison as Janie
- Haley Bennett as Patricia
- Damian Young as Kauffman
- Lilli Kay as Lisa
- James Wolk as Junior
- Shaunette Renée Wilson as Donna
- David Rysdahl as Todd
- Ricky Russert as Whitman
- Johnny Knoxville as Leon Hart
Production
[edit]It was announced in May 2024 that the film, titled Press Your Luck, had entered post-production, with Paul Walter Hauser, Walton Goggins, David Strathairn and Maisie Williams among the cast announced.[4][5] Later, the film was retitled The Luckiest Man in America.[2]
Release
[edit]The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2024.[2][6] That same month, IFC Films and Sapan Studio acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, planning to theatrically release it sometime in 2025.[1] It was released in the United States on April 4, 2025.[7]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 68% of 68 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "If The Luckiest Man in America doesn't fully deliver on the potential of its sensational true story, it fortunately has Paul Walter Hauser on hand to provide some welcome emotional complexity."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[9]
Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "The Luckiest Man in America is good follow-up viewing for Quiz Show, a drama about the 1950s quiz show scandals that prompted congressional investigations and led to reforms in the television industry. It's also an example of how to make a low-budget movie that immerses you in a long-gone world and the minds of people who lived in it, while maintaining a tight geographical focus on a small number of characters."[10] Steve Pulaski gave the film three out of four stars, praising the production design, and noting, "The Luckiest Man in America is great entertainment. For those like me who embrace television history [....] it’s gratifying to see a story as bizarre as this one given such careful attention-to-detail with few other motives besides being a satisfying watch."[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Lang, Brent (September 30, 2024). "IFC Films, Sapan Studios Buy Game Show Thriller 'The Luckiest Man in America' Following Toronto Film Festival Debut". Variety. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c "The Luckiest Man in America". TIFF. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "The Luckiest Man in America (2024) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
- ^ Whittock, Jesse (May 9, 2024). "Paul Walter Hauser Starring In Game Show Drama Press Your Luck; Walton Goggins, Maisie Williams & More Join Ensemble Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ Ford, Lily (May 9, 2024). "Paul Walter Hauser to Star in Game Show Drama Feature Press Your Luck". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (June 18, 2024). "Toronto film festival world premieres to include 'Nightbitch', Elton John doc, 'The Wild Robot'". Screen Daily. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (February 13, 2025). "Paul Walter Hauser is a real-life game show cheat in first look at The Luckiest Man in America". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ "The Luckiest Man in America". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
- ^ "The Luckiest Man in America". Metacritic. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ Zoller Seitz, Matt (April 2025). "The Luckiest Man in America". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ Pulaski, Steve. "The Luckiest Man in America (2025) review". The Official Steve Pulaski Website. StevePulaski.com.